For those that aren’t aware (and either you haven’t bought this rum before or cannot read – in which case you won’t be able to read this either and come to think of it you wouldn’t be reading my blog…) Blackwell Fine Jamaican Rum is named after Chris Blackwell.
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The British have a long standing love affair with dark rum. Most navy rum is British Navy Rum. Dark, sweet Demerara based rum’s are fairly commonplace in the UK Supermarkets. Brands such as Lamb’s and Captain Morgan lead the way in terms of sales. Rum which has been distilled and aged in the Caribbean but transported to the UK for blending (and occasionally further ageing). Lamb’s and Captain Morgan use a blend of different rum’s from different islands. Jamaican rum is used in Captain Morgan to lead the way in terms of flavour (it fails miserably).
Pusser’s Spiced is probably the quickest rum purchase I have ever made. I heard about Pusser’s updating their line of rum earlier this year and in the press release it was noted that a “Spiced” variant was in the offing. I had waited patiently for the Spiced to go on sale and as soon as I saw it available, on Drinks Direct it was in the basket, ordered and paid with Paypal within 2 minutes! (along with the new 40% Blue Label).
So Gosling’s famous Black Seal Rum. Named due to the Black Seal on the front of the black bottle? Wrong. Oh and the bottle is clear not black – the liquid held within is black. This is Goslings Black Seal Bermuda Black Rum. So that must be why it is called Black Seal.? I’m afraid you’re wrong again.
Doorly’s XO Fine Old Barbados Rum. From the house of Martin Doorly no less. None the wiser? No me neither. The rum is produced by R. L. Seale at the wonderful Foursquare Distillery. So what does this Doorly fellow have to do with it exactly?
Well, in 1906 the Rum Duty Act was passed and this caused considerable changes to how rum was distributed in Barbados. The new law meant that distilleries had to obtain a licence and could only sell rums in bulk. Many of the distillers became bottlers instead. Of these Martin Doorly & Co. The growth of branded names began and Martin Doorly evolved into Doorly Macaw Rum and became the first bottled rum to be exported from the island.
For generation’s Gosling’s name has been synonymous with their signature Black Seal Rum. Goslings Gold Rum was the Bermudan companies first new product in 108 years. An answer to the cries for a lighter bodied rum, in keeping with modern times and the trend towards amber/gold mixing rums.
EL Dorado 15 Rum Review
By luck rather than judgement (very questionable if you read my El Dorado 12 review) the “Special Reserve” became the first El Dorado rum I ever tried. Having just received an expensive consignment of rum I happened to stroll into a well known discount store (Aldi) in a not so well known seaside town (Seaham Harbour). I found on their shelves El Dorado 8 Year Old. Obviously I immediately picked up a bottle and strode to the counter………